Maybe
by Windesque
Summary: Neji is angry with the Hyuuga main branch, and resolves to make Hinata more like the heiress instead of so shy. NOT Hyuugacest


Neji and Hinata. 'Cause I love these two to bits :)

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did...it would be weird, and there would be no fans at all. So, yeah :)_**

Neji closed his eyes tightly, deactivating his Byakugan. He opened them, and looked around. He had been training in the main branch's garden for half a day now, without rest. He raised his arm, and wiped the sweat and mud from his forehead with his sleeve. The dummy in front of him rocked slowly forwards and backwards sadly, before coming to a stop. He watched it for a while, noting the careful rocking. No matter what happened to it, the dummy was always there. One consistency in life that he noticed. He looked up at the main branch's house. One consistency…such as how he was considered inferior to the main branch.

He gritted his teeth tightly, as the thought crossed his mind. Yes. The main branch. The good for nothing stuck up little…Hiashi. The clan head. The enforcer of laws. The big bogeyman in many a young Hyuuga child's nightmares. Hanabi. The spoilt girl that had everything her way. And Hinata. How he hated her. Her shy exterior, her weakness, her way in laying herself down at everybody's feet. How he hated that. All she needed was to grow a backbone, and stand properly. She was a Hyuuga, for goodness' sake. She was meant to inspire fear in the hearts of enemies, yet she just inspired pity in those weak, and anger within him and Hiashi.

He clenched his fists and spun around, marching away from the garden and into the house. He pushed the door fiercely, allowing it to slam back into place, and stormed through the house, and out of the front door. Thinking about Hinata made him angry. Her polite shyness, the way she always seemed so caring. An heiress of the main branch. And yet so….pathetically weak. And fate had chosen her above him…

He was lost in his bitter musings as he walked slap bang into somebody. Hinata…

"O-oh. I-I'm s-so-sorry, Neji," she stuttered, staring at the ground, a red flushing over her face. "I-I d-d…didn't see y-you."

Neji rolled his eyes. There had to be a way to change her, to make her more proud to be a Hyuuga, more…stronger. He had tried everything. Fury, snapping, yelling, training, threatening to tell Hiashi. No matter how much he may dislike her at times, he was still related to her, more was the pity. And she was still the same stuttering, shy self. Maybe…

Speak to her kindly. Stop being so…distant and snappy. Make friends, for a change, idiot.

He mulled Tenten's words in his mind. Maybe it could work. But it probably wouldn't work anyway. Still…there would be no harm in trying.

"N-neji?" her voice bought him back to reality, she was staring up at him with a confused expression. He sighed. He'd just have to try it. Curse you, Tenten, he growled mentally.

"Oh, nothing. I was just…you know…thinking. About…stuff. So…how was your day then, Hinata? Did you train hard today?" he asked, plastering a stupid grin on his face. He must have looked like an idiot, standing there with the sweat on his forehead, smiling….actually smiling at his younger cousin. Live with it, he thought.

Hinata stared at him with wide eyes. "Erm…y-yes, I did. I was training with Sh-Shino…" she trailed off, her eyes stuck to him, wide with what seemed like fear.

"That's good. Shino, eh? The Aburame? Well…at least his blood is pure. Much better for you than Naruto, don't you think? Or the Inuzaku…well…his blood is pure too, I guess. Good choices for team mates? " he said with a teasing smile. It still had the faint smugness around it, but it was much less than usual.

Hinata blushed instantly and looked down. "I…I don't like N-Naruto anymore," she stuttered, staring at her revealed toes in her sandals.

"Oh?" Neji asked, raising an eyebrow. Although it wasn't even a word, he thought he managed to put enough interest into it. And he was interested. He had no idea where his newfound enthusiasm to find out about Hinata's love life had come from, but it was something. And she had only stuttered twice, in that sentence. Maybe he was getting somewhere. Slowly, but surely.

"No," she said affirmatively. "I don't like Naruto. He was…He was like a…a hero to me. But…I d-don't like him like that, anymore," she blushed furiously, ducking her head. "Erm…I have to go now. I promised to meet some of my friends later…"

"Which friends?" he quickly demanded, his voice cold again. "I…" he quickly kicked himself mentally. Stupid mistake. "I-I mean…who are you meeting?"

"Erm…Ino, Tenten and Temari," she said, looking at him with barely suppressed curiosity.

"Tenten…and Temari…I never knew that you were friends with them. I thought it was just the Aburame, Inuzuka, and their pets…" Loose terms for a dog that turned as savage as it's owner, and bugs.

"Ino organised it. A bit of a celebration after we all came back from our new missions on the same day. Temari stopped by, and Ino…kind of…forced everyone into it, I suppose."

Neji smiled inwardly. Some pride came from having friends, did it not? Becoming more outgoing could help…"Perhaps…I could come?" he asked, gently, half-hoping that she would refuse, and half hoping that she would accept.

"I d-don't think so…it's a g-girl's night o-only…" her stutter came back. He cursed himself inwardly. He had been doing so well, and then he had spoiled it. Well…she spoilt it, in honest truth. He had simply asked a question. Stupid heiress.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Have fun, Hinata," he smiled, carefully, as though he was treading on thin ice.

"G-Goodbye, Neji…kun," she smiled, turning and leaving quickly.

Neji paused for a while, watching her. She had called him Neji-kun. He smiled as he turned himself. Maybe…just maybe he was getting there.  
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**A/N: I think Neji was too OOC...I dunno. And I know I must have got a lot of typos, grammar mistakes, missing punctuation, but it was midnight when I wrote this, and I haven't slept for a week. I've read through once, but if there arelots of mistakes, bear with me, please :)**

**I'm not pressing you to read and review....but it would be nice :)**


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